Hot Topic: Miles Teller

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If you haven't yet fallen for Miles Teller, the breakout star of this month's much-anticipated romantic drama, The Spectacular Now, prepare to be smitten. After roles in 2011's Footloose and this year's 21 and Over, Teller has found his groove playing high school senior Sutter Keely, who falls long and hard for Shailene Woodley. (Don't just take our word for it: the pair snagged the coveted Special Jury Prize for acting at this year's Sundance Film Festival.) Penned by 500 Days of Summer's Michael H. Weber and Scott Neustadter, the film offers a bittersweet look at first love.

ELLE.com caught up with Teller to talk about his own high school days, his fake booze of choice, and which romantic movie he just can't seem to watch again.

Age:

26

Provenance:

Downingtown, PA

Relationship Status:

"I'm going to leave that open ended," he replied with a laugh.

On his journey to landing the role of Sutter Keely:

I auditioned for the role right after Footloose. Probably about two and a half years ago at this point. I bombed the audition. I asked for another audition and they said, "That's better, but you're still not going any further." It was unfortunate because it was the best script I'd ever read. Then, a year and a half later, James [Ponsoldt] got involved. I met James at a bar, actually. He was like, "I want to offer you this part, but I have to convince the producers that you're right for it." Then I heard they offered it to Nicholas Hoult. But something happened, and ultimately, it came back to me.

On his own high school experience:

I was very similar to Sutter in the way that he's kind of friends with everybody. He's just very comfortable. I loved high school. My best friends today are my best friends from high school and they still come out and visit me. But I had drive. I was the kid who could throw the party and then still get straight As. I graduated above 4.0 and my buddies were just like, "Dude, you were at the same party I was. How did you get that?"

On channeling his inner teen on set:

I was 25 years old when we filmed The Spectacular Now and I was playing an 18-year-old. But when they put a backpack on you and you're walking around a high school, and you have a locker and you're in a cafeteria, you just have to play it back. You have to remember that you don't have as much of a commentary on the world when you're 17. You're really just taking it all in.

On what is actually in Sutter's ever-present beverage container:

It's a 7 and 7. But what's actually in it? I would mix it up. I had Sprite at one point. I had Mountain Dew one day. But water's just the easiest to drink when you're filming, especially because it was hot. It was like 100 degrees in Georgia in August.

On filming the first kiss scene with Shailene in one take:

I didn't know that it was going to be in one take. You don't know that until you do the first take--and you realize that the director's not cutting away. But it was nice to do it that way. I like the in-between moments that come with long takes. The dialogue was written in, but if Shailene threw in a word here or there, then that worked. We weren't married to the script.

On whether or not first loves can last forever:

Sure, I know people who are married to the girl that they met when they were 15, you know? I certainly think it's true. It's not true for me. [Laughs] But I know people.

On the romantic film that he just can't bring himself to watch again:

It's so funny, but I remember watching The Notebook with my first serious girlfriend when I was 17. Obviously we broke up. Then, maybe two and a half years ago, it came on TV. I was like, "I'm going to watch that. I don't really remember what it's about." As soon as the opening credits came on, it brought me back to watching it with this girl. I was like, "Well, I can't watch this." [Laughs] I had to change the channel. I couldn't do it.